The Fate of the Parts Shop
by Teacup Countess
Summary: What happened to the former residents of St. Peter's shop? (This is a reboot of an old story)
1. Prologue

**_A/N- I'm rebooting this for consistency purposes._**

**_1- Prologue (Lampy's POV)_**

* * *

Our adventure was very adventurous. We lived through a lot of things appliances should not be able to survive, including a run in at the junkyard.

All the appliances we met. Some friendly, some unfriendly.

Well, the start of Master's college career had a very odd beginning. That led us to cross paths with ones who once scared us.

And even Radio got in on the fun. But that will come later.

It all began on the car ride over... with a commercial over the radio.


	2. In For Repairs

_**2- In for Repairs**_

Chris and Rob were driving off to college. An ad came on the Radio.

_**Is your refrigerator on its last legs? Does your fan not cool as much? Then come to Mr. Fixit's shop.**_

Chris gasped. "Rob, this is my dad's shop."

"Your dad repairs appliances?" Rob asked.

"It's a funny story," Chris replied. "When I was little, I used to have this crazy dream. My appliances had a life of their own. They would talk, run around the house, and even sometimes clean the place."

The five appliances in the backseat shook out of nervousness.

"That's not crazy. I had the same dream too."

The five breathed a sigh of relief.

_**Give us your broken machines and we will repair them.  
**_

"Ow! Stop Pushing!"

"I didn't push! The truck just turned a corner!"

"Get your plug outta my eye, you box of sawdust!"

"Who are you callin' box of sawdust, glass-face?"

The former residents of the Parts shop sat in the back of a truck. Destination unknown. Apparently, someone picked them up off the roadside.

Another corner sent the unsecured load shifting to another side.

Fantine, Cornelia and Asimov (a fan, a popcorn maker, and a table lamp) made the decision to hide inside Fridge. This way, they wouldn't run the risk of colliding with others.

Fantine opened Fridge's door and looked out. "Are you guys okay?"

Asimov scoffed. "We're not okay! I just hit the wall five times. Whose idea was it to hide in the fridge?"

Cornelia shook her head. "And what's this about keeping our plugs to ourselves?"

Loretta, a reel player, stepped forward. "Too late to tell them about it. Artie and Sharpe got into a slap fight five red lights ago."

"He started it!" Both appliances screamed, pointing their plugs at each other. Artie was a Tv with a broken screen and Sharpe was a pencil sharpener.

Fantine and Cornelia looked at each other, then shut the fridge door.

The truck tires left the highway and got onto a dirt road.

A burly Hispanic man opened the back of the truck and proceeded to unload everything. Asimov looked over the man's shoulder. "Mr. Vazquez's repair shop".

Once everyone was inside, Asimov finally spoke up.

"We're in a repair shop. We're gonna get fixed."

Artie groaned. "No one can fix me. I'm worthless."

The repairman entered the work area. He was roughly six feet tall with tan skin and sparse dark hair. A name tag on his shirt read "Rodrigo Vazquez."

"Where'd you find these guys?" Rodrigo asked. "They look horrible."

One of the men shrugged. "Outside St. Peters'."

"The scam artist?" Rodrigo asked. "The guy who sells old busted appliance parts as new?"

A nod.

Rodrigo gestured to Artie. "Well, I guess it's my duty to make sure these are even workable."

The appliances found themselves on a shelf. Sharpe looked around at the work table.

"We're not gonna get ripped apart again, are we?" he asked.

"We'll make sure that doesn't happen," Batter, a waffle iron with a frayed cord said.

_**Or you could buy one of our wide selection of refurbished appliances. We made sure that they're in working order.  
**_

Fantine looked at another shelf on the other side of the room. It was a lot smaller than the shelf they were on. A Kirby vacuum with roses decorating her bag sat next to a shelf containing a red desk lamp.

"Kim, can I get a better look at 'em?" The desk lamp asked.

Kim groaned. "Sure." The small desk lamp jumped off the shelf and Kim carried her over to the shelf.

The small lamp's eyes widened. "What happened to you?"

"Look, we're not the freak show," Batter grumbled. "So no gawking."

"Bonnie," Kim scolded her friend. "They're in for repairs."

"Repairs?" Bonnie asked.

Kim pointed to the shop area. "Appliances come in here to get fixed, then if no claims them, out there!"

"Isn't that where they'll get sold?" Bonnie asked.

Kim nodded. "You'll have a new master soon." Kim pointed to a label around her handle. "I'm not for sale. I'm on reserve."


	3. The First to Go

_**3- The First to Go**_

* * *

Rodrigo's employees took Maestro and Loretta off the shelf.

Loretta took one last look at her friends. They all waved goodbye.

Maestro, an old phonograph, was the first one under Rodrigo's attention. Rodrigo ran his fingers over the gash in Maestro's horn.

"This model went out of style before the second world war. Don't think I can find another horn like this." He paused. "Unless."

He pulled out a sheet of metal and formed it into a cylinder shape. "I can improvise."

Maestro felt the top half of his horn getting sawed off. Maestro just gritted his teeth. This was nothing compared to what he went through in St. Peters'.

The metal sheet was soldered on. Rodrigo then flared the edge a bit.

Rodrigo waited for the metal to cool before beginning the next part: Testing. He lowed Maestro's needle onto the record.

Creepy organ music filled the air. His two workmen shivered.

"St. Peters has a sick sense of humor." He removed the needle and the record. "It works. Put it up for sale."

"Yes, sir," One of the workmen said. He took Maestro off the table. He looked back to see his friends smiling.

Loretta was the next to be fixed. The repairman's hands opened her up and gave her insides a good look.

* * *

Decibel, a megaphone looked away. "This is the end for us. We're all going to be separated."

Tears welled up in Fantine's eyes. "But... but..."

Cornelia shuffled over to Fantine's side. "We'll still have memories of our time together."

Kim shook her head. "That's the way things work around here." She glanced at the shelf. Bonnie was taken to the storefront too.

* * *

Then came the testing phase. Rodrigo fished out a test reel and loaded it into Loretta.

"Daniel, Daniel," a British female voice said. "I cannot be with you."

"Jessamine, my love," Daniel replied. "What is it?"

"I... I..."

The tape ended there.

Loretta's eyes twitched. She remembered this recording. "Lady of Peachtree Estate" Episode 15.

After the tape was removed, Rodrigo turned to his men. "It works. Put it up for sale."

Loretta was lifted off the table and moved to the storefront.

* * *

Maestro opened his eyes. Loretta sat beside him on the shelf. A small gathering of humans pulled into the parking lot.

"Customers," Maestro uttered. The phonograph and the tape player froze. Bonnie sat on the far end of the shelf.

The customers entered the storefront.

A gray-haired man in a worn coat shuffled over to Loretta. He motioned to his companion. "Hey, this looks familiar."

Phil Davis and Edward Marshall stood in front of the shelf. The two hosts of Light City's own radio shows.

Edward checked Loretta's price tag. "We can afford this." He picked up Loretta and took her to the counter.

Maestro shrunk back. Would anyone come for him? He glanced at the replacement for his damaged horn. Will anyone notice it?

The two men left the store, Loretta in tow.

* * *

A man, a clean-shaven blond, approached Maestro. He eyed the sign above the shelf. "All of these appliances work," he read. He glanced at the price tag on Maestro, then thumbed through his wallet.

He motioned to his wife, a slightly chubby woman wearing sunglasses. "Flo, do you think this'll fit?"

Flo walked over. "Bill, a cheap phonograph's a godsend. They'll love it."

Museum? Maestro wondered. He felt Bill's hands gently lift his base off the shelf and carry him to the counter.

Scanned, then paid for. Bill and Flo left the shop. Maestro was placed inside a cardboard box.

* * *

Loretta found herself sitting atop a fireplace.

Phil and Edward were talking to a dark-haired man in a suit.

"You bought a reel player?" the man in the suit asked.

"Mr. Cooper," Edward said. "This is a throwback to House of Horrors' radio days."

"Radio days," Mr. Cooper said, raising an eyebrow. He looked at his paperwork. "Oh, I must've skimmed over that."

What were they talking about?

Phil looked nervous.

"Very well, the reel player can stay," Mr. Cooper said. "I would like to thank you for giving my crew the rights for a TV series. House of Horrors will reach a wider audience now."

Loretta smiled. "This old girl's got a lot more life in her."

* * *

Maestro remembered this house. It was his house decades earlier. Flo and Bill picked up the cardboard box and carried it inside. Maestro struggled to get a good look. The place had been turned into a bed-and-breakfast. He found himself headed for the ballroom. Workmen were busy repainting the walls an amber color. Maestro was taken out of his box and placed on a table.

"I'm home." He uttered. "I'm where I'm supposed to be."

Ahead was the table Mistress used to set refreshments on. The workmen had placed their tools there.

Bill and Flo left the ballroom, discussing matters.

"When does the place open?" Flo asked.

"In a few weeks, once the paint dries and the inspectors come in," Bill replied.

Maestro smiled, silently wondering if his record collection still existed.

* * *

Kim sat in the back room. Bonnie had been sold to a chubby man with a walrus mustache. Something about his son's room.

"It's simple, really," Kim said. "You'll get taken off the shelf and put on the table. Then he'll fix you up and put you up for sale."


	4. Screened

**_4- Screened_**

* * *

Kim paused. Two appliances appeared on the work table.

"Oh, forgot to introduce Mr. Vazquez's helpers."

A drill hopped off the table. "We have our work cut out, don't we?"

The soldering iron just peered at the group. "All these appliances need fixed."

"Boris, Chaney? Meet your patients."

Chaney, the soldering iron, paused. "I was used to repair a phonograph's horn."

"He's coming! Hurry!"

Chaney extended his iron arm and yanked Boris back onto the table.

Artie stared into the distance. Rodrigo entered the work area and picked him up.

"Just throw me away." Artie thought. "Throw me away and end my misery."

Artie found himself on the work table. Rodrigo took a spool of wire.

"Missing a few wires back there, aren't you?"

Artie couldn't respond. When a human talks to an appliance, it shouldn't talk back.

He felt a few new wires get placed within him.

"And now, what should I do with the broken screen."

Pliers ripped out the shards of glass. Artie was now essentially toothless. Rodrigo took out the tape measure and measured something.

A second, more broken TV got placed beside Artie. He sneaked a look. This one's screen was intact and the same size as his. Rodrigo began removing the screen and placing it within Artie.

A perfect fit. Artie thought. I have a chance. The repairman fit Artie's plug into the socket. Static covered his screen, but a twist of the knob revealed a picture. The evening news was on.

Rodrigo turned to his two employees. "Tomorrow, put this one up for sale." Artie was unplugged.

After everyone left, Artie just sat there on the table. His friends got off the shelf and rushed towards him.

"Hey, Glass-face, you look different!" Sharpe said. "Is it the new screen?"

Artie's new mouth was the static image. "Well, excuse me, Mr. Sawdust, but I like my new screen."

Sharpe raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you the one begging to be thrown in the trash like an hour ago?"

Artie looked away. "Was I?"

"You look great!" Fantine said.

"I feel great too."

* * *

The morning sun rose above the repair shop. Artie had remained in his spot. His friends were sleeping on the shelf. Rodrigo and his employees opened up the shop. The two men lifted Artie off the work table and put him on the storefront shelf.

A group of college kids walked into the store. One of them, a brown-haired guy with a linebacker build, spotted Artie sitting on the shelf.

"Dude, this looks like something I had in my old dorm room."

Artie struggled to stay in stand-by, but this guy sounded like his old master.

"I thought you threw it into the river," another guy said. "It's probably the same model."

The first kid looked at his friend group. "Tony, promise you won't destroy it?"

"Jeff, I'm on meds. The doctor said it's under control." Tony replied. He was skinnier with a darker complexion. Jeff picked up the TV and walked to the counter.

Artie opened his eyes as he was in the parking lot. This was the same truck that drove him to the river. He was surprised that Jeff hadn't cleaned up at all.

He really is my old master. Artie thought.

Artie was then carried into a dorm room and hooked up.

He lowered his gaze to a small grey box.

"About time something like you showed up." she said. "I can't work without you."

Artie froze. Was this some kind of new technology?

"I know, I know, you haven't seen anything like me around." she said. Her voice was heavily synthesized. "I'm Nin. Just Nin." She extended one of her controllers; Artie extended his plug. They shook.

"My, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," the tall lamp said. Lola came walking over. "You don't look like you've had a table in your face at all."

Artie blushed. "I'm just thankful I'm home." He looked at Lola. "You don't know what I've been through."

"Please, don't tell me," she said. "Don't wanna reopen old wounds."


	5. Moving Up

_**5- Moving Up**_

* * *

An old sewing machine was taken off the smaller shelf and into the storefront.

"Would you look at that, Tailor?" One of the compents said. "We'll be back home in no time."

Sharpe just stared at the fixed appliance.

"I don't want to return home. I only have one wish," Sharpe admitted. "To see Loretta again."

"Wait, he had a crush on her?" Cornelia asked.

Cassius tapped Cornelia on the shoulder. "Did you see the way they ran out of the shop, plug in plug?"

"So romantic!" Fantine snickered.

Sharpe felt himself turn red. "Cut it out."

"Okay, lover boy," Fantine said.

"Ahem."

"Okay, I'll quit."

Rodrigo's men approached the shelf and picked Sharpe off. He was placed on the work table.

"Let's see what's inside this one." Rodrigo removed Sharpe's lower jaw and emptied it into the trash can.

Sharpe felt his plastic shell open, revealing the mechanisms within. "It needs a gear." He opened a drawer and pulled out a box of tiny gears. He tested each of them before finding one to match.

The gear was secured in place. Rodrigo sealed Sharpe up before pulling out a fresh pencil. He sank it into the hole in Sharpe's face. Sharpe grated the pencil into a neat point.

"This one works."

Sharpe was lifted off the work table and carried to the storefront.

* * *

Sharpe stared at the parking lot through the window. A handful of customers were filing in.

A blond man in a suit approached the "Refurbished" shelf. He examined Sharpe, then took him to the counter. After paying, he left. Sharpe found himself in the passenger seat of a nice car.

He looked behind him. Folders full of paper lay neatly in the back seat. Was his new master a writer?

The car pulled away from the repair shop and headed deep into the city. The man parked at a large building.

Sharpe was picked up off the seat and carried in. "Good afternoon, Mr. Smith." A grey-haired man said. "I assume you've got something."

Mr. Smith set Sharpe on a chair before darting back to his car. He came back with the folders.

"Yes! You said you wanted a script writer for the new House of Horrors series?"

The man thumbed through the scripts. "Hmm, interesting. I'll pass these on to my superiors."

Mr. Smith picked Sharpe up and walked down the hall. He put Sharpe on his desk.

"Oh, gotta go! Closing time." He dashed out of his office.

Once the humans had left, Sharpe climbed off the desk and scampered down the hall. A pair of film cameras spotted him.

"Oh. My. God." One of them said. Her voice had the valley girl twang. "Look at this cute thing." She gestured toward Sharpe.

"Cam," her companion droned. "One of the office guys must've brought him in."

"But still!" Cam said. "Welcome to Hertz Studios!"

Sharpe stared at the two cameras. "Uh..."

"He's not a big fan of TV." Era said.

"What? You don't know that Light City's got its own studio?" Cam asked.

Sharpe swallowed. "I originally worked in a school." He walked off, headed down the hall.

He came into a room decorated with animal heads. The fireplace was empty. A reel player sat atop the mantle. He climbed up on one of the old-fashioned chairs to get a better look.

"Hey," The reel player called out. She noticed Sharpe. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

That voice was unmistakable. "Loretta?"

"Sharpe?" The reel player asked.

Sharpe nodded.

"Fancy seeing you around here." Loretta got off the mantle. "What brings you to the studio?"

Sharpe thought. "Someone who works in an office bought me?"

"Oh, one of the writers, or prospective writers, got you."

Sharpe nodded. "How'd you..."

"I may not be able to move when humans are in sight, but I can still hear 'em." She raised one of her cords to her mouth and laughed. "You're going to love it here. I do."


	6. Just the Right Size

_**6- Just the Right Size**_

* * *

Fantine hopped around on the shelf. Each day one of her friends would be taken to the repair table.

She froze once she spotted the workmen approach. They picked her off the shelf and carried her to the table.

The workmen left the room. Lunch break.

Cornelia and Cassius left the shelf and made their way to Fantine.

"So, I'm next?" Fantine asked.

"It seems like it," Cassius replied.

"Well, it was nice knowing you." Cornelia said.

Rodrigo entered the workroom. Cassius and Cornelia climbed up back onto the shelf. He placed something down on the work table.

A blade cage. Like the one that was taken from her. Rodrigo fit the cage over her blades and screwed it in.

He then fit Fantine's plug into the outlet and turned her on. Cold air blew in his face.

"This works." he said. The workmen picked Fantine up and carried her into the storefront.

* * *

Fantine couldn't see anything. Her back was to the window. People walked in and browsed the refurbished goods.

She heard a conversation. "I'm not taking the white fan. I won't have space for everything else."

Fantine paused. White fan? She knew a white fan. Esther.

"Hey, there's a small fan on the shelf. It's for sale." Hands wrapped around Fantine's "neck" and pulled her off the shelf.

A girl with purple-dyed hair dressed in all black examined Fantine. "Hey, little bro!" she said. "Didn't you have a fan like this?"

Her brother, a clean-cut blond, looked at the fan. "Uh, yeah, I did."

"I'll buy it." the girl said. She took Fantine to the counter. Scanned, Paid, and out into the backseat of a black car. She felt it was a little excessive to be buckled in.

Fantine glanced at the appliance in the seat beside her. A table lamp thumbed through a horror novel. He set the book down once the girl came back to the car.

She and her brother drove off.

The siblings made a stop at home.

The table lamp picked up his book. "Good thing Mistress doesn't notice me reading her book. This is so interesting."

Fantine shuddered. "And you are?"

"Call me Lucien," the lamp replied. He turned the page with his plug.

Fantine stared at the cover. Why did one of the images on the cover look like her?

"Interested?" Lucien asked. Fantine nodded. "This one's a real page-turner. Synthetic Specters by Elmo St. Peters!"

Fantine drew back. That name!

Lucien lowered his book. "You seem frightened."

Fantine took a deep breath. "I'll tell you later." She paused. "I'm Fantine."

"Fantine, what a lovely name." Lucien replied.

The girl was the only one to return to the car. Fantine looked out the window. Wait a minute. This used to be her house.

"Did I forget to mention we're headed to college? Hope's planning to take her theater experience to new heights."

Hope put the key into the ignition and drove off.

Fantine sat on a desk in her dorm room. Lucien took the moment to finish reading Synthetic Specters. Once he was done, he neatly placed the book on Hope's desk. Fantine took a second look at the cover. Not only was she on the cover, but what looked like Igor and Cassius. Did the whole experience make Elmo write a horror novel? Or was it something he had been doing for years?

Fantine guessed it was option 2.

A brass gooseneck lamp hopped down the hall. Fantine narrowed her eyes. Something about him looked familiar.

The dorm room appliances loved it when everyone was at class. It gave them ample time to socialize.

Fantine hopped off the desk and rushed to the growing crowd.

She found herself standing next to the brass lamp.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" she asked.

"Oh, the Parts Shop?" he said. "I forgot to thank Mr. Lorre for the bulb." Fantine just stared at him. "Well, that's what Radio calls him."

Fantine thought hard. Radio. Radio. Was he red, loud and almost got his tubes ripped out?

"I think I know Radio," she said.


	7. Summer Days

_**7- Summer Days**_

* * *

It was Decibel's turn on the repair table. He sat on the table, awaiting Rodrigo.

The repairman entered, carrying a box of parts. He set them beside Decibel before setting to work.

Decibel's shell opened, revealing his innards. "Did someone drop this in a pool or something?" He removed a few of Decibel's damaged parts and put the fresh ones in.

Decibel was then sealed up.

The megaphone found himself sitting on the shelf. A recently refurbished vacuum cleaner got sold, then an old boombox.

"Will anyone come for me?" Decibel asked. He stared out into the parking lot.

A hefty balding man stepped into the store. He approached the shelf.

"Well, another accident cost Matt his megaphone," he said.

Decibel glanced at the man. His old Master's boss.

"And this one's cheap. I'll get it."

The man took Decibel to the counter. He paid with his credit card.

Decibel found himself in a box in the trunk.

Did this mean he was going back to the pool? Would there be any precautions to avoid getting dunked into the deep end?

He hoped so.

The car drove off.

Decibel was lifted out of the trunk. This was the pool, all right. It hadn't changed much since he left. He guessed it had only been a few months. The man carried him inside.

Matt, a tan-skinned, athletic type, sat in the lobby, sipping on soda. "Oh, hey boss."

"Matt, after two megaphones in the deep end, we need to make some changes," the man said. He handed Decibel to Todd. "We'll install a holder to make sure an accident doesn't happen again. Technology isn't cheap, you know."

Matt smiled. "Thanks, boss."

* * *

Lampy hopped back to his dorm room, smiling.

"So, how'd it go? Meet anyone new?" Toaster asked.

The lamp smiled. "Oh, the microwave three doors down's nice. Ooh, and there's an electric guitar across the hall."

Kirby furrowed his brow. "Is that who makes all the racket?"

Radio twitched. "Might want to meet the guy. He sounds like he knows how to have a good time."

"She's a girl," Lampy corrected.

"Oh, sorry. Tell her I'd like to meet her."

"And the lizard fan's in here!"

Blanky curled up into a ball. Toaster looked at the electric blanket, then at Lampy.

"Did you have to bring that up?" she exclaimed. She got off the desk to comfort Blanky.

Radio adjusted his antenna. "Lizard fan, eh?"

"She's actually nice and... repaired." He hopped back on the desk. "I'll introduce you to her tonight."

Kirby huffed. "I'll keep an eye on you two."


	8. Where He Belongs

_**8- Where He Belongs**_

* * *

Asimov swallowed hard. It was his turn.

He sat on the table right beside a box full of lampshades. Rodrigo had left for Lunch.

"No!" Asimov shrieked, throwing a lampshade on the floor. "No!" Another lampshade joined it.

"What's his deal?" Cornelia asked.

Asimov heard her. "I want my new shade to be perfect!" He tossed another lampshade. "Is it my fault that these don't compliment me?"

"And I thought I was dramatic!" Percy chuckled.

Asimov ignored him and returned to his work. Three more lampshades landed on the floor.

"You know he's going to have to clean up your mess," Batter said.

Asimov groaned before digging out the last shade. His eyes lit up. "This is it! My perfect shade!"

Cornelia and Batter leaped off the shelf. Cornelia took the now-empty box and put it on the ground. The two appliances proceeded to put everything back in the box. Asimov didn't mind. He just sat on the table admiring his chosen shade.

Cornelia managed to slide the box back on the table minutes before Rodrigo walked back in.

"Did I put this shade here?" he asked himself. "I must've." He took the shade and proceeded to fit it on Asimov. "Now, I need to straighten this."

Asimov blinked. He knew what was wrong, but he didn't expect it.

Asimov felt himself be hammered back into shape. Rodrigo plugged him in. Asimov shone as bright as ever.

"This works."

* * *

The moment of truth. Asimov thought. Someone had to pick him up. One record player and a couple toasters wound up leaving.

An old woman with cat-eye glasses walked over. She picked up Asimov and took him to the counter. Her perfume reminded Asimov of something familiar. The librarian.

After being paid for, Asimov found himself in the back seat.

"I wonder what the new library even looks like." he thought. The car pulled out of the parking lot.

They pulled up to a large brick building. A sign in the front lawn read. "Light City Public Library."

The Librarian carried Asimov in. She headed for the back room.

Shelf after shelf of books. All of his old favorites were there. Lord of the Rings, the works of Robert Louis Stevenson, among others.

Brightly scampered into the backroom. "Where'd you go? You were gone for years."

"I was?" Asimov asked, scratching his head. He looked at the calendar. Brightly was right. "Dash it all."

* * *

Kirby gritted his teeth. Why on earth did he decide to chaperone Radio and Lampy? Oh, for his own sanity, and their safety.

The old vacuum trudged (or the vacuum equivalent) down the hall to the dorm lobby, roughly three feet behind his companions. A crowd of other appliances gathered.

The lizard fan hopped over. "Oh, hi, Lampy." She giggled.

Radio backed away. "And this must be Radio."

"I am, ma'am," he said, trying his hardest to be respectful. And just a bit terrified.

Kirby just stared at her. "Where's everyone else? The broken-toothed tape player? The bug-eyed lamp?"

"Cassius is still at the repair shop, last time I saw him." She paused. "And Igor?"

"That's Mr. Lorre," Radio whispered.

"Well, he's still at St. Peters. He didn't leave."

Lampy hopped backwards. "He's still there?"

Fantine nodded sadly. "He's stuck to the ceiling."


	9. Part of a Balanced Breakfast

_**9- Part of a Balanced Breakfast**_

* * *

It was Saturday morning and Rodrigo's daughter Chris had stopped by the repair shop.

Her father's employees gave her permission to enter the work shop.

Rodrigo laid down his screwdriver. "Oh, didn't see you there."

"Wait, the repair guy has a kid?" Batter asked.

"Delaying the inevitable, aren't we?" Cornelia asked.

A few minutes of conversation later...

"Just wait outside," he said. "I have to fix this waffle iron. Could you whip up some batter?"

"Sure," Chris replied. She left the workroom.

Batter was carried off the shelf and onto the table. "This one's got a frayed cord." Batter was rolled over onto his back. The cord was gently removed. Rodrigo spent a while slipping a new cord in.

Then came testing. Batter was plugged in, turned on and opened wide. Waffle batter filled his "mouth".

Minutes later, a satisfying ding filled the air. Batter was opened up, revealing a perfectly-cooked specimen.

* * *

Chris lifted the waffle onto a plate. "Dad, can I have this?"

Rodrigo smiled. "Of course."

Chris carried the plate away. Batter was unplugged, then cleaned up.

"Did you see that thing I made?" He thought. "Gorgeous."

He smiled as the workmen took him to the storefront.

Rodrigo went into the backroom and took Kim out. "You said you needed this?"

Chris nodded.

* * *

Batter still couldn't stop smiling. He worked. Someone was coming and adding him to their kitchen.

He fidgeted in his spot, watching the customers enter. He stopped fidgeting once he spotted a young woman.

She picked him up. "Good, I needed a new waffle iron." She carried him to the counter, muttering something about how much her kids would love homemade waffles.

The car he was placed in looked suspicious. Fashion magazines lay on the back seat.

"My old Mistress!" Batter thought. The car drove off.

He found himself back home, sitting on the kitchen counter.

"Wow, Batter!" The Microwave said. "You're looking a little cleaner than usual."

"Did you do something with your chrome?" a blender giggled.

"Ladies, ladies!" Batter uttered. "I'll tell you the tale another day." He sighed. "I'm just a little worn out. All this excitement about coming home is really doing a number on me."

* * *

Chris returned to the Dorm. She and Rob met in the cafeteria.

"Well, Dad fixed an old waffle iron today," she said. "It works like a charm."

Fantine and a few of the main five darted into Rob's room.

"Batter! Batter's better!" Fantine squealed, trying to make sure the humans couldn't hear her.

"Was he the vampire?" Radio asked.

Fantine wrinkled her "nose". "Well, he did have fangs."

Toaster got off the desk. "So you're the Fan Radio's been raving about." She approached Fantine and offered a "hand".

Fantine grasped one of Toaster's Levers with her plug and they shook.

Footsteps were heard coming down the hall. "Gotta go. Bye!" Fantine said. She darted down the hall towards her room.

Hope took Synthetic Specters and thumbed through it. Her roommate, a pale Italian girl with stringy hair, looked over.

"Mona," Hope laughed. "You gotta read this when I'm done."

Mona raised an eyebrow. "What's it about?"

"A rip-off artist builds a shop on ground from an old cemetery. Ghosts infest the appliances and..."

"Don't spoil me." Mona said.

Fantine just stared into space. "I heard of stretching the truth, but that's doing it until it's unrecognizable."

Lampy peeked out of the dorm room. Chris was in the process of loading a vacuum cleaner with a decorated bag in.

* * *

"Wow, we have another Kirby in here!" he said.

Kirby groaned. "I've counted like three others. Now four?"

Radio paused. "Well, your brand is made to last."


	10. Encore Performance

_**10- Encore Performance**_

* * *

Cassius shivered. Was it his turn on the table? Boris and Chaney stared at him.

The workmen arrived and plucked him off the shelf. He was placed on the table.

"What a disaster!" Rodrigo remarked. Untangling the tape from around Cassius's insides was going to be hard. There was enough tape to fill three cassettes.

Next part, fixing Cassius's "Teeth". Rodrigo had to replace some of them. The buttons looked like they were seconds away from detaching.

Rodrigo fished a "Claudia Lopez" tape out of the drawer and inserted it into Cassius. Strange music (or strange to Cassius) filled the air. The tape was thankfully ejected.

"Another working appliance. Put it up for sale."

The workmen carried Cassius towards the storefront.

* * *

It was nearing the end of one of the workmen's shift. His wife and daughter had arrived at the shop. Mona, the man's daughter, browsed the shelf. Her fingers traced over the goods for sale, until she came across Cassius. "Dad, can I buy this?" she asked.

"Do you have the money?" he called.

"Yeah," she said. She picked up Cassius and carried him to the counter. She gave the cashier the money.

Cassius found himself sitting in the backseat, beside a box of cassette tapes. Mona had to stop at a gas station before returning to college.

Cassius struggled to look inside the box. Without his tape arms, it only tipped the box over.

Mona returned to the car. "Must be the wind." She set the box upright.

* * *

Fantine smiled. Sitting beside her on the desk was Cassius.

"How ya doin'? Did the repair guy treat you well?"

"Well, to be honest," Cassius replied. "I still need to get used to not having arms."

"You're gonna love it here!" Fantine gushed. "There's a bunch of other appliances that are nice. The humans are mostly gone."

Cassius shifted. Hope had left her novel on the desk. He shuddered.

"Oh, and our old tormentor already has a back-up career." Fantine began. She pointed at the tape recorder on the cover. "Such a flattering picture."

Cassius almost fell off the desk.

* * *

The next day's appliance gathering had a new member. Fantine and Cassius strode into the common room.

Kirby just glared at his four colleagues. Someone had to make sure no one breaks a button.

"Lampy! Radio! Over Here!" Fantine called out. "I found another survivor." She pointed at Cassius.

Lampy hopped in for a closer look. "You look... different."

"I'm... uh... trying to ... uh... get used to not having tape gunk up my insides." Cassius finally admitted. He looked around the room. "Uh, I'm sorry for scaring you a few weeks ago."

"The horrors of war do things to men's souls," Radio said, placing his antenna on Cassius's side. "But you saw the light at the end of the tunnel."

"What he said," Lampy replied. He hopped to Radio's side. "I didn't understand you." Radio didn't reply.

* * *

Chris received a call in her dorm room. It was her dad. Rob stood outside the door.

"Hey, dad. What?" Rob looked shocked. "Oh, that. We'll have to find a way to stay in business." She hung up soon afterwards.

She spotted Rob standing by the door. "My dad's shop is closing by the end of the week."

"But why? It's doing so well."

The appliances heard the conversation.

"Dad rents the space; he doesn't own it. And the bank just hiked up the rent."


	11. Pop-ularity

__**11- Pop-ularity**__

* * *

Rodrigo seemed a little more depressed. He took Cornelia off the shelf and placed her on the table. He muttered something about the spike in rent.

A newspaper was open beside him. A place circled. Cornelia wished she could read.

Cornelia was opened up. "There's a bit of smoke damage on this one." He rummaged around in a box of spare parts before pulling out the one he needed.

Once the job was done, it was time for the testing phase. Rodrigo plugged Cornelia in and fed her unpopped kernels. Minutes later, she spewed them into the bowl.

"This works."

Cornelia sat on the table for a little while, watching Rodrigo pore over the classified ads. "The old St. Peters' place is still up for sale. Guess no one wants it." He walked to the phone and dialed the number provided.

"Hello, I'm interested in buying the shop." He paused. "What? It's haunted? You've got to be kidding me."

Cornelia couldn't hear the rest of the conversation. The workmen dragged her off to the storefront.

* * *

A woman with curly dark hair approached Cornelia. She picked up the popcorn machine and carried her to the counter. Scanned, paid for, and then in the backseat of a car.

The car stopped at a small building. Cornelia couldn't read the sign.

The woman wrapped Cornelia in brown paper and tied the paper on.

Cornelia found herself being dropped into a box of something soft. The popcorn machine struggled.

"All right, Miss West," a male voice said. "Where do you want this to go?"

"My son would love this popcorn machine."

The box was moved down a conveyor belt.

"All right, we'll have it arrive at college in a week. Thanks for your business."

* * *

Chris called her father's shop, looking for an update.

"Have you found some place to move to?" A few moments. "So, let me get this straight. Some kook believes the shop is haunted and won't sell it to you without an exorcism."

After the conversation ended. "Rob, do you know any ghost hunters?"

Rob sat on his bed. "Let me think. We need to find out what kind of ghost we're dealing with."

"How about we swing by Dad's shop tomorrow?"

* * *

Rodrigo's appliances, Boris, Chaney, an TRS-80 computer, and a steel desk lamp gathered on the work table.

"What are we supposed to do?" Chaney asked. "The shop's closing down." He turned to the desk lamp. "Rayna, got anything?"

"Well, not exactly," she said. "I thought of offering myself as collateral."

"As in?" the computer, a rather dull fellow calling himself Tanner, asked.

"Next time he puts up an appliance for sale, I'm offering myself to be sold," she replied. "I was here since the shop's opening. Master doesn't trust the ceiling lights here. They flicker and break a lot."

"And when were you manufactured?" Boris asked.

Rayna pulled out a desk drawer and rummaged for her manual. "Ah, here it is. '72. Bought when I was fresh off the assembly line." She craned her neck to look at the shelf. "I'm not leaving yet. He still has a percolator and a stove to work on. When the stove leaves, I'll leave."


	12. Energy Boost

**_12- Energy Boost_**

* * *

"Farewell, repair shop! I shall miss you!" Percy shouted, even though there was only two appliances in the room (himself and Cooke)

The workmen carried him off the shelf and put him on the table. Rodrigo took the screwdriver and removed Percy's fork arms.

"Who'd put forks on a percolator?" Rodrigo asked himself before picking up the soldering iron. "Oh, yeah. St. Peters."

It didn't take much to cover the holes in Percy's sides.

Then came the testing phase. Rodrigo brought out a box of tea bags and filled Percy with water. In a few minutes, he heated up the water.

Rodrigo tilted Percy towards a cup and put the tea bags in. The perfect cup of tea.

After drying out Percy's insides, Rodrigo asked his employees to take the appliance to the shelf.

* * *

Percy sat on the shelf. A bleary-eyed college student trudged over. He noticed the sign above the shelf. "Might Be Going Out of Business. All Sales Final."

He picked up Percy and took him to the counter. Once paid for, Percy found himself stuffed in a backpack.

Along his journey, Percy struggled to not get crushed by textbooks.

The backpack was lifted up and carried out of the car. He found himself in a dorm room.

The tall lamp took one look at him. "So, you're the one that's going to keep Max up all night."

"Madam," Percy began. "I have just arrived."

The lamp snorted. "Anyway... Max tends to study long into the night. His last coffee maker couldn't handle the pressure." She pointed her plug at where the last coffee pot stood. "I'll miss him." She turned to Percy. "You are?"

"Percy," Percy replied.

* * *

Rob and Chris arrived at Rodrigo's shop. "Dad, we want to help you."

"Chris, I don't think I can find an exorcist for miles," Rodrigo sighed. The phone rang. Rodrigo picked it up. "Hello, Rodrigo's Repairs, how can I... Oh, Mr. St. Peters." A pause. "Your ghost is possessing an old lamp? It moves by itself? And speaks?"

Rodrigo heard Elmo press a play button and a brief recording could be heard.

"Don't worry, this will all be over soon." A creepy voice said. Sinister laughing.

Rodrigo wrinkled his brow. "Are you sure you didn't record this from an old movie?" After a few more words, Rodrigo hung up the phone.

"Chris, I need your help," Rodrigo finally admitted. "Can you help get rid of a ghost?"

"I'll do my best." The two left the shop.

Once Rob and Chris were in the car, Rob got an idea.

"There's a girl in my Psychology class that might help."

Chris thought. "The Goth girl? Isn't it a little stereotypical?"

Rob shrugged. "I'll talk to Hope tomorrow and maybe she'll help us."

* * *

Lampy, Radio and Toaster ran into Fantine at the next appliance meeting.

"I'm sorry to reopen old wounds, but we need your help."

"With what?" Fantine asked.

Cassius hopped over.

"The humans were talking about conducting an exorcism." Toaster explained.

"What's an exorcism?" Lampy asked.

"I Command you to leave this place in the name of the..." Radio announced, gesturing wildly with his antenna.

"They think the shop you left is haunted. Something about a possessed lamp."

Cassius and Fantine exchanged glances. "Igor." They uttered in unison.

After a brief huddle, the two finally answered. "We'll return to the shop, but we need to find out how to get there."


	13. Dishing it Out

_**13- Dishing it Out (Cooke)**_

* * *

Cooke was the final one to be repaired. And one that could not fit on the table.

Rodrigo had to walk over to him and repair him where he stood.

Cooke felt his covers get removed and a few new fuses put in.

Testing was simple: making sure all of his knobs produced a flame. Sure enough, they worked.

It took four workmen to take the old stove to the storefront.

* * *

Cooke couldn't fit on the shelf. He sat beside the shelf. Rayna sat on the shelf. The banner overhead drooped a bit, brushing one of his burners.

The customers came and took everything on the shelf, including Rayna. Everyone seemed to ignore him.

That is, until...

A scrawny Italian man walked over. Why did he seem so familiar? Cooke looked at the man's left hand. A wedding ring?

The man's gaze flickered to Cooke's price tag. He called the cashier over. After handing the cashier money, four workmen lifted Cooke out of the store. He found himself in the bed of a pickup truck.

The truck pulled away, headed down the highway.

His destination was a townhouse a few miles down the road.

"Maria, you said you needed a new stove," the man said. "Well, I picked up one from a shop."

Carrying Cooke into the house was a lot of effort. He looked over one of the men's shoulders. An old woman sat on a chair, knitting.

Was that his old Mistress? It sure did look like her.

* * *

Hope, Chris and Rob met in the common area.

"Sure, I'll help you stop a ghost," Hope said.

Chris handed her an address. "Here's where we have to go."

"Is that the shop with the broken front door?" Mona asked.

Hope nodded. "Apparently, the ghost caused it."

* * *

"But how are we gonna get to the shop?" Toaster asked.

Fantine thought. "Hmm, Mistress has been packing some stuff for the ritual. Cassius and I can squeeze inside. Why don't you find out if you can stow away?"

Radio, Lampy and Toaster glanced at the box. A cross and a book of prayers were on either side of the box.

Radio twisted his dial. "I'm sure we can fit."

"I'm not going." Kirby muttered. "Blanket said he's not going either."

"I've had nightmares!" the electric blanket wailed.

"And someone's got to keep an eye on him." Kirby replied.

"All right," Toaster said. "It's just Lampy, Radio and me."


	14. The Stage is Set

__**14- The Stage is Set**__

* * *

Chris, Rob, Hope and Mona made their way over to St. Peters' shop, unaware of the guests that stowed away.

"Fantine, don't lick that!" Cassius said.

"Why? It feels so nice," the fan replied. One moment later. Fantine backed away, face scrunched up.

"Hasn't anyone told you not to lick candles?"

"I'm not used to being around them." She replied.

In the other car...

"I'm worried about Blanky," Toaster sighed. "This is the first time I've let him out of my sight in a while."

"He's fine, Slots," Lampy assured her. "Kirby's looking after him."

The two boxes were carried into the shop. The humans had to leave. Hope and Mona forgot the lighter. Chris and Rob forgot the garlic.

Fantine and Cassius pushed themselves out of the box and scurried into the back room.

The hanging lamp twitched.

"Good evening," Igor began. "I never thought I'd have visitors." He got a closer look at his visitors. "Fantine? Cassius? What brings you back here?"

Lampy, Toaster and Radio left their box.

"And you've brought friends." He smiled.

"Mr. St. Peters thinks you're a ghost." Cassius began.

"Really?" Igor replied. He gave a slight chuckle. "A ghost? Me? Anything other than admitting my sentience."

Fantine pulled a book out of the box. "And look! He wrote a novel about us."

Igor lowered himself to Fantine's level. She showed him the cover. "Oh, dear. Why couldn't Mr. St. Peters pursue his writing career above mutilating appliances? I would've been a happier lamp if he did." He paused. "Wait, why am I the centerpiece of this cover art? I'm flattered that someone managed to capture my... unique appearance." He took the book in one of his cords.

"They're going to conduct an exorcism," Toaster said. Her voice shook. "The place is up for sale and..."

"Hmm, this gives me an idea," Igor replied. "Fantine, may I borrow the book for a moment?" Igor asked. "I'd like to do a bit of... research."

Fantine nodded.

* * *

The six humans (the four college kids plus Rodrigo and Elmo) grabbed a candle. Hope lit each candle. "Okay, on the count of three, we're going in there."

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

The door was pushed open, revealing a mostly empty work room. Radio sat in the vise, plug in the outlet. Igor remained still, back turned. The light of the candles was the only light in the room. The other appliances hid elsewhere.

"Oh, company. I've been lonely for so long." Igor said.

Hope backed away. She never expected the ghost to start the conversation.

"Are you the ghost inhabiting the hanging lamp?"

"Yes, I am."

"Who are you?" Hope asked.

"I am one who was killed too soon. For crimes that I did not commit."

Toaster gave a ghostly wail to add to the mood.

Elmo staggered backwards.

Hope glanced at Mona, then continued her speech. "Why are you here?"

"This shop was built on my grave."

Elmo wondered why this ghost was quoting lines from his debut novel.

Rodrigo whispered. "I don't know why, but this ghost has an excellent Peter Lorre impersonation."

Fantine peeked around the corner. The dim light let her sneak around unnoticed.

"What do you want?" Hope asked.

"What do I want?" Igor replied. He chuckled. "I want the man who disturbed my rest out of my sight."

Elmo glanced at Rodrigo, before swallowing hard. "Um, I have the paperwork in my truck." He said, dashing out of the room. Rob flipped the light switch by accident.

He glanced at Radio. "Wait a second, has this radio been on the whole time?"

Hope wrinkled her nose. "If I was talking to a radio program, why did it answer my questions?"

"Maybe something experimental," Mona asked.

"Whatever it was, it wasn't a ghost," Hope said.

Rodrigo and Elmo left to get the paperwork settled. The four college kids extinguished the candles.

Lampy and Igor were left alone in the backroom. "Before I go, I want to tell you something."

"I'm listening."

"Thanks for helping me out when my bulb burnt out."

Igor just smiled. "Oh, don't thank me. I wanted to help someone out. I most definitely don't want anyone to suffer like I had."

"Suffer?"

"Oh, yes. I was a lot like you many years ago. I was naive."

"So, you're like the others?" Lampy asked.

Igor nodded. He looked over at the others. "It's best you should leave. You don't want to be stuck here."

Lampy hopped away to join the others. The kids were packing up the supplies. Radio had already fit himself into the box. Lampy and Toaster hopped in beside him.


	15. Aftermath

**_15- Aftermath_**

* * *

Toaster, Radio, and Lampy made it back to the dorm room.

"So how was Blanket sitting?" Lampy asked.

Kirby just stared. "Well, Master got one of those Origami books and..."

Blanky sat on the bed, smiling. An open copy of a book titled "Origami for beginners" lay in front of him.

"Blanket wanted to be a piece of paper for an evening. He managed to fold himself into a crane."

Toaster sighed. "I wish I could've seen that."

"Oh, I'm so glad my first impersonation was a success."

"That was you speaking the entire time?" Toaster asked.

"Mr. Lorre just handed me the script; I performed it."

"Wait, how'd you..." Lampy said.

"A magician never reveals his secrets."

Kirby scoffed. "Well, let's add that to the list of occupations Radio has claimed."

* * *

Mish-Mash pushed out of her makeshift coffin. A work crew was fixing the shop door.

"Igor, what's with all the racket?"

The hanging lamp smiled. "We're getting a new master."

"What happened to the old one?"

"I'll tell you later."

* * *

Rodrigo stood outside the shop. More workers were taking the sign down.

The shop was his. And all that was needed was an "exorcism."

"Ghost?" he scoffed. "It was only a malfunctioning radio."

He handed one of the workers the new sign. They put it up.

Rodrigo took a swig of water. "Beautiful."

* * *

Days later, the cracks that Fridge made were plastered over. Rodrigo's new shop was opening in a few days. A truck carrying all of his equipment pulled up in front of the shop.

The workmen unloaded everything.

Igor opened his eyes to find two new appliances sitting on the work table: a drill and a soldering iron.

"Oh, hello," Igor said. "Are you new here?"

To Igor's surprise, neither of them flinched. Newcomers usually flinched when he spoke.

"Why yes, good sir," The drill said. His voice was a British accent. "Our master is turning this into a repair shop."

Repair shop? Igor was stunned.

"Haven't you heard?" The soldering iron asked. "An actual repairman bought this place."

"Oh, I haven't." Igor replied. "Excuse me for not knowing what goes on outside, I've been hanging here for about five years."

The drill spoke up. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Boris and this is Chaney."

"I'm Igor." A pause. "Wait, if this is a repair shop now..." A smile crossed his face. "I get to see them live instead of die, ehehe."

* * *

Percy strolled down the halls of the dorm, headed for the lobby. He passed Fantine and Cassius. "Hello, how are we today?"

"Tired," Fantine said. "I didn't get much sleep."

"We spent part of the night at..." Cassius's eyes opened wide. "Percy, is that you?"

"Of course," Percy replied. "I never thought I'd see another from the Parts Shop here, much less two."


	16. Rayna's Fate

_**16- Rayna's Fate**_

* * *

Rayna sat in the trunk of a car, huddled in a cardboard box. "Should I tell my new owner that plastic doesn't make good packing material?" she mused. The car stopped. Rayna was taken out of the car and into a building.

Rayna's next destination was a desk. She was plugged in.

"Betty, you have nice taste," a woman said. "That lamp is cute."

"Well, it was on sale," Betty said. "Tomorrow the shop's reopening." Rayna looked at the ceiling tiles.

"That leak really cost us business," the other woman said.

It was time to go home for the night. Rayna hopped over to an appointment book.

"Caramel, 11:00. Duchess, 2:00. Angus: 3:30." She raised her head. One of the hairdryers had started talking.

"We've got a new desk lamp," she said. The sound of plugs being pulled free from their outlets snapped Rayna out of her daze.

Rayna whirled around to face several appliances. A black hair dryer with red accents was dead center.

"Um, where am I?" Rayna asked.

"Take a look," a Dyson vacuum said. Rayna craned her neck to look at a series of business cards.

"Pretty Puppy Pet Grooming?" She read.

The hair dryer nodded.

"It gets a little wild here," she said. "But we love it." A pause. "Where'd you come from?"

"I worked at a repair shop," Rayna admitted. "We were going out of business, and..."

"You offered yourself as collateral?" the hair dryer, Vanessa, asked.


	17. What Happened to Fridge

_**What Happened to Fridge?**_

* * *

He escaped, but ended up coming back: This time with magnets stuck to his metal door.

Fridge didn't care, as long as someone got use out of him.

He just sat in the kitchenette area of the new repair shop.

He couldn't see or speak, but he could hear and understand everyone.

"This one looks familiar," he heard a voice say.

Fridge twitched.

"I think I know this fellow," another, more familiar voice, said. "Fridge, is it?"

Fridge stumbled from his spot. "ME?" The magnets spelled out.

"Yes, you," the first voice said.

"WHERE AM I?" Fridge spelled out.

"Do you want the old name, or the new name?" voice number 2 asked.

"ALL RIGHT... TELL ME." Fridge replied.

"Only a month ago, this was St. Peters' shop, now it belongs to a gentleman by the name of Vazquez," the voice said.

"HEY, ARE YOU STUCK TO THE CEILING?"

The voice paused to read the letters on Fridge's front. If he was talking to a fellow appliance... probably a lamp. Those could read.

"Ah, Fridge, it was so nice of you to let the others out," the voice said.

"IGOR, IS IT?"

"Oh, you remember my name," Igor laughed. "Don't worry, no one's going to dismantle you now."


	18. Donation Drive

_**A/N- And Now for something completely different.**_

_**Donation Drive**_

* * *

Walter gave up his screen. The old TV had seen many things. But wear and tear really got to him. His screen was the only thing intact.

Marie-Anne was an adorable fan. She was nearly decapitated by a wayward garage door. Her crowning glory was used to make another fan very happy.

That was once Isadora's shade, but Isadora is no more. Blame intense fire damage. The shade is still intact.

Babette donated her cord, but she got reimbursed when a toaster that was accidentally run over gave her his.

Carla was manufactured with a defect. A few extra buttons. She decided to share.


End file.
